Hamilton said lands at Fort McCoy and in the surrounding communities are
much like those found anywhere else.

“If the land was appealing for someone to live on 12,000 years ago, it
probably still is appealing to live on today for the same reasons, (such
as location, bodies of water, etc.),” she said. “So you have many
settlements on top of each other throughout history.”

One example is the location of the Wisconsin State Patrol Emergency
Vehicle Operator Course. Hamilton said she was called into Fort McCoy
about 15 years ago to survey the location. Although the site was
historical, there was too much cross-history contamination from several
time periods to make it eligible for formal historical designation,
Hamilton said.

Native American lands are located throughout the Midwest, Hamilton said.
Some Tribes/Nations have specific land set aside, such as reservations,
through federal treaties. The Menominee Reservation in the Northeast
part of Wisconsin is an example of this. Some Wisconsin reservations
have been described as checkerboard because so many parcels of land no
longer are under tribal ownership.

Other Tribes/Nations, such as the local Ho-Chunk, also were given lands
as reparation for lands taken from them through federal treaties in
parcels or allotments, she said. Ho-Chunk Nation residents, as do other
Tribes/Nations, have the incentive to get back their original lands so
they may purchase additional lands to supplement/complement the lands
they originally were given, she said.

Native American history is part of American history, and Hamilton said
archaeology finds can help determine that history.

“History tells about human beings living and dying, how they supported
and protected their Families, and how they lived,” she said. “We can
tell what they did in the past (through) simple objects. The farther
back in history you go, the more difficult it is because nature degrades
much of the physical evidence.”

In addition to archaeological information, much information about Native
Americans is available through cultural/preservation
offices/representatives of the various Tribes/Nations. The amount of
assistance depends upon the personnel and resources available in the
various offices, she said.

Hamilton said she also enjoyed the opportunity to give something back to
the U.S. servicemembers and civilians who serve today. Her Family has
many connections to the military, including her parents serving in World
War II — her father in the Navy and Merchant Marine and her mother in
the Army. One of Hamilton’s sisters served in the Navy, and another
sister serves as a civilian to support the U.S. Air Force.

Lemke said people throughout the state also play an important role in
providing information to the Wisconsin Historical Museum.

“We find out a lot about the places we go to from people we talk to and
what questions they ask us at presentations like this one,” Lemke said.
“It it interesting to talk to a military group, because you know you
have experienced people who have the perspective of traveling to other
places.”

The event was sponsored by the Fort McCoy Equal Opportunity (EO) Office.
The next ethnic event will be the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. observance
in January. For more information, call the EO adviser at 608-388-3246.